CoMO SEPTA

Last night was another informative meeting for CoMO SEPTA. We had childcare offered for the first time courtesy of MU OT students. It was wonderful to see all who were able to attend, both parents and educators & school personnel.

We started the night off with a brief meeting to take care of business. Michelle spoke a bit about the sensory supplies that we’re gathering in an effort to make school events more available to all. Schools would be able to use our sensory kit and set up a “Calm Room” for students to head to and decompress from the chaos for a bit. This would mean more families could feel able to attend events.

The sensory space is getting its test run at Mill Creek’s Cougar Fun Fest. If you have a Mill Creek student and think someone in your family might benefit from this space, definitely check it out and give us feedback. And if you’re not a Mill Creek family but think this would be beneficial at your own school’s upcoming event, reach out to us. We’d love to have as many school events take advantage as possible. comosepta@gmail.com

Amie told a bit about the various committees. The Social Committee is looking to plan maybe a holiday party. The Building Liaison Committee will help with outreach to the various schools in the district. The Fundraising Committee will be in charge of events that help CoMO SEPTA host these presentations, obtain sensory supplies for the project mentioned above, give recognition & support to the school professionals who work hard for our students, and so on. The Resource Fair Committee is working on planning an event (possibly in April) where information can be given on all the resources available in town, because sometimes it’s difficult to know just what’s out there. And the Advocacy Committee is looking for some individuals willing to advocate for our students. We’re still looking for interested parties to volunteer, so let us know if you’d be up for taking part. Give us an e-mail, or fill out the form on our Volunteer Page.

Next month’s typical meeting date would fall on the Tuesday right before Thanksgiving, so it was moved to the week before: Wednesday, Nov 14. We’ll be hearing from CPS SLPs on the topic of assistive technology. They’ll share how these devices & apps can be used to help access or augment language in those with communication issues. It will be at the Center for Early Learning at 6 p.m.

Our current fundraisers were announced. At that point, we were at 49 shirts sold in our Kindness Tees. (If you’re quick, you might be able to snag one.. they’re still on sale until 10:59 tonight!) I’m happy to say that number is now at 67 shirts. Not only does this mean we’re able to act on more of our goals mentioned above, but the message on the shirts is one of kindness & acceptance. I love thinking about that being spread to as many people as possible. 🙂

And coming up next week is the easiest fundraiser ever. On Tuesday, Oct 23 from 5-8pm, take a night off from cooking (and dishes!) Come to Culver’s. You don’t have to show a flyer or mention a code, just come and order some supper. Invite everyone you know. Dine-in and drive-thru both count, though if you dine in you may get to see some of us helping to deliver your food to your table. 🙂 10% of all sales go to CoMO SEPTA. (And just a note for families with gluten sensitivities: Culver’s does offer a gluten-free bun, so you can enjoy a burger as well!)

An announcement was made about the Missourian Progress Awards. This awards program is run by the Columbia Missourian and the nomination period is open through next Friday, October 26. There are many categories for which you can nominate someone, but I think it would be especially great to see one of our amazing Special Educators get the nod in Education. So if you’ve got a fantastic teacher in mind (or health care provider, or someone who’s made efforts towards advancing inclusion..) head over to the Missourian Progress Awards page and nominate them. All nominations are anonymous, but every person nominated will be made aware that someone out there thought they were worth it. 🙂

Michelle also announced that on Saturday, November 3, there would be a training event by the Missouri PTA. It’s open to all PTA members not just current officers so if you’re interested in attending let us know. comosepta@gmail.com

And I let the group know of another group I’m in – Central Missouri Autism Caregivers. It’s a great place to get support and resources if you have a child on the spectrum (or we’re admittedly not too picky.. if your child has similar struggles – communication, behavior, social issues – but no autism diagnosis, chances are we can still relate. 😉 ) This group sets up a meet-up once a month, generally for dinner & drinks. This month we’re meeting at D. Rowe’s, Oct. 28 @ 6 p.m. Just let me know (either in the Facebook group above or a comment below) if you plan to come so we can let the restaurant know ahead of time to reserve a large enough table. 🙂

Along those lines, I’d love to hear about any other support groups that might be out there. I’m planning on making an area in our Resources page for them. So if you know of a group, whether it’s a maybe a disability-specific group for parents or if it’s a group for children/teens with disabilities, let me know! comosepta@gmail.com

Then it was time for the main event. Wendy Cornell of United 4 Children presented “It Takes a Village: Engaging the Village Through Effective Advocacy.” She has a background in education and is also a special needs parent herself, so she’s been able to see things through both “sides.” She stressed the value of collaboration and communication as when you can work together, that’s the best case for your child. She also spoke about organizing your documentation, and about ADA & who has to follow it. United 4 Children also hosts free training events in various locations. You can check out the calendar on their site for the full list. They have one next month, Nov. 12 at the library in Ashland called Understanding the Spectrum to Teach Each Child.

After the presentation, we were able to have a time for socializing as well, or to chat further with Wendy on specific questions or concerns. If you weren’t able to make this month (or even if you were), mark next month’s 11/14 meeting on your calendars now. It’s sure to be a fun & informative time. We hope to see you there!